Organ-swell.



R. HOPE-JONES.

ORGAN SWELL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 2a, 1910.

Patented Mar.26,'1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

R. HOPE-JONES.

ORGAN SWBLL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1910.

Patented Manga, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBTVZ.

UNiTnD sTATns ROBERT HOPE-JONES,. OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. OBGAN-SWELL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Eiger. 26, 1912?.

Application filed July 28, 1910. Serial No. 574,248.

To all whom 2'?? may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT HoPEJ ONES, a subject of the King of England, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have Yinvented new and useful Improvements in GrganSwells, of which the following is a speeication. One of the objects of my invention is the `provision of simple means in convenient sight of the performer for indicating at all times the position of the swell-boxshutters- A further object is to eect the movements of the swell-shutters by a motor un der the control of the performer so as to facilitate the operation and improve the action of the shutters, this feature in the Vpreferred forni of the invention being combined with said indicator as lwell as with the'usual swell pedal, so that the motor may be manually controlled by means of the indicator when the feet are used upon the bass pedals or are otherwise engaged.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure 1 is a frontview of a pipe organ embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the electromagnetic brake cooperating with the shutter-operating motor, showing the brake applied. Fig, 3 is a side elevation of said brake in the same position. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 1 -4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of the organ showing the position of the parts when one of the swell indicators and manual motor-controllers is depressed. Fig. 6 is a rfragmentary sectional elevation of the elechaving the usual pivoted shutters A2; A3

the actuating arms of the shutters, and A4 the link connecting the several arms. In the construction shown in the drawings, the pedal is connected with the vertical link A'i by the usual pedal-arm a, links al, a2 and bell crank as.

Arranged at the front of the console, preferably immediately below the desk B, is a series'of swell indicators C, one for each swell-box, which take part in the move ments of the swell-shutters and thus serve to visually indicate their position. These indicators may be of any suitable construction, but preferably consist of vertically swinging levers, the front arms of which extend forwardly through a fixed slotted bar c and terminate in knobs, as shown, while the rear arm of each lever is connected with the operating link a2 of the corresponding swell-shutter by a sectional connecting rod d, )(Zl and a bell crank d2. Obviously the indicator levers `may be connected with any other memberof the connecting train between the swell-pedals and the shutters, or with the pedals themselves. It will now be understood that vwhen the shutters are opened more or less, the eX- posed front arm of the corresponding indcator C is depressed accordingly, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5, while when the necessity of looking down at the pedals for that purpose. These indicators are also preferably used for manually controlling a suitable shutter operating motor. This inotor is preferably of an electro-pneumatic character and constructed as follows: E, E1 indicate a pair of oppositely and alternately-acting motor pneumatics secured to opposite sides of a pressure or wind chest F and having the arms e of their movable boards connected with the link L2 by short links e1, so that the alternate iniation of saidl pneumatics causes thel swell-shutters to be opened and closed. Each of these pneumatics connects by a channel f with a vertical port f1 which opens at its lower end into the atmosphere and at it-s upper end into the main pressure chamber F1 ofthe wind chest which has the pressure inlet' f2 ,connected with asource of compressed air not shown in the drawings. The upper and lower ends of each port f1 are controlled by pressure and exhaust valves f3, f4 both mounted on a stem f5. The latter is connected to the vertically-movable lower board of a pneumatic f6 located in the wind chest andwhich when collapsed by the pressure (see right hand pneumatic) opens the pressure valve f3 and closes the eXhaust valve f4, thereby admitting pressure to the correspending motor pneumatic E or El and operating the swell-shutters accordingly. Each of these valve operating pneumatics is connected by a channel g with a valve chamber g1 which communicates constantly with the wind chest by a pressure port g2 and with the atmosphere by an exhaust port g3 controlled by a. valve g4. The valves g4 constitute or are carried by armatures which coperate with electro-magnets h, h1. When either of these magnets is energized, it attracts .the corresponding valve g4, opening the exhaust port g3 and closing the pressure port g2, whereupon the corresponding valve operating pneumatic is collapsed by the wind chest pressure and the air is exhausted from said pneumatic through the channel g and port g3. When the magnet is deenergized, the wind chest pressure moves the valve away from the magnet, opening the pressure port g2 and closing the exhaust port g8. Pressure is now admitted to the corresponding yvalve-operating pneumatic f, iniiating the latter,'and reversing the valves f3, f4 to the position-in which the air is exhausted from the corresponding motor pneumatic E.

The magnets h, h1 are included in separate electric circuits controlled by a switch which is preferably operated by the corresponding indicator C, so that when the latter is depressed one of said circuits is closed, while whenvit is raised the other circuit is closed, thus alternately energizing the mage nets and causing the motor pneumatics E, E1 to open or close the swell-shutters. rlhis switch may be of any suitable construction. In the construction and arrangement shown in the drawings, the lower connecting 'rod section d1 is provided at its upper end with a pair of spaced horizontal contacts or bars z', l each forming a terminal of one of the magnet circuits. Between these contacts is arranged a switch or switch-spring 2 'forming the other terminal of both of said circuit-s and adapted to touch one or the other of the terminal contacts i, l for closing either of the circuits. The ends of this switch spring are clamped between noirconducting blocks 3 which insulate said con-l tacts, while its free central portion is attached to the forked .lower end of the upper connecting rod section al by a trans* verse pin 4. By this construction the two rod sections al, dt are yieldingly connected by the switch spring which latter is so stili' as to remain normally out of Contact with the terminals z', il.

The corresponding indicator lever C is so light compared with the resistance of the switchspring that the latter remains prac- Losetas latter to open the shutters as hereinbetor'e.

described. To close the shutters by means of said manually controlled operating mechanism the indicator lever is thrown to the elevated position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, thereby detlecting thev switch spring 2 downward into contact with'the lower circuit terminal has shown by full lines in 6, and closing" the circuit of the other magnet 71.. Pressure is now admitted to the corresponding motor pneumatic E which thereupon shifts the shi'itterconnections in the proper direction to close the shutters.

ln the magnet circuits shown in the dra'wings the switch spring i2 is connected with one electrode of the battery J by a conductor j. A conductor jl leads from theother electrode to one end ot each magnet-coil, while the other ends o't said coils are respectively connected with the Contact terminals e', l by' conductors jg, js. rllhese particular circuits are however, shown by way of example only and obviously may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In order to prei/ent overthrow or excessive movement ot the shutters by the motor pneuma a brake is employed which promptly arrests the movement of ther shutters when either of the magnet circuits is brokenrl structed follows: 7c, 7s indicate a pair of brake shoes acting against opposite sides of the linlr` a2 or equivalent member of the shuttor-operating mechanism and hinged at their inner ends to a wind chest L or other support, as shown at cl. These slices are normally retracted to release said link, by a suitalile spring 702 and are applied by a pair of motor pneumatics M, the movable boards of which carry lugs m which bear against the backs of the bralre shoes, so that the latter are forced against the link a2 by the inflation of said pneumatics. rlfhe latter are connected by ducts n with a common channel nl leading to ya valve chamber N which communicates with the atmosphere by a port n2 and with the pressure chamber of the chest L by a port n3. These ports are controlled by a double-faced valve 0 which when in the lowered position shown' in F ig. 2 admits pressure to the brake-pneumatcs li and causes them to apply the A'ihis brake is preferably con-V brake shoes, while when `the valve is in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 5, it allows the-air to exhaust from the said pneumatics, permitting the spring 102 to withdraw the brake-shoes. The valve o is reciprocated by a pair of oppositely-acting pneumatics p, p1 arranged within the wind chest L and having their movable boards suitably connected with the stem of the valve. Each of these valve operating pneumatics is connected by a channel g with a valve chamber Q1 which communicates constantly with the wind chest L by a pressure port g2 and with the atmosphere by an exhaust port Q3 controlled by a valve g4. The valves y* are in the form of armatures which cooperate with electromagnets g5, QP. The operation of this electro-pneumatic action is the same as that ot' the motor pneumatics E, El except that when one of the magnet circuits .is closed the valve 0 connects the brake-shoe pneu- Y magnets /i, /zl by conductors r, r1, r2, so that vsame and the shutters.

the bra-ke circuit is Closed simultaneously with the shutter-operating circuits by the manual depression or elevation of the corresponding indicator C.

Normally the several circuits are open and the valve 0 is in its lowered po-sition. Under normal conditions with pressure in the brake wind-chest, the brake pneumat-ics M are inflated and the brake shoes are applied. Upon closing .the circuits either by,

depressing or returning one of the indicators and controllers C, the brake circuit is closed, defating the pneumatics M, withdrawing the brake shoes and permitting the shutter-pneumatics E, El. to. freely operate the shutters. As soon as the indicator is vreleased by the performer, the brake circuit is broken and the brake-shoes are promptly applied, holding the shutters in the desired position and also otl'ering the necessary resistance to deflect the switchspring 2. l I

The shutter-operating motor and the brake are controllable by the pedals A as Well as the indicators C. For this purpose, a suitable switch is combined With each pedal or with the operating connectionsbetween the In the example shown in the drawings, eachpedal is provided on its upper side7 on opposite sides of its pivot, with insulated contacts s, 81 which coperate with switch-contacts t, tft-carried by a rocking switch or foot plate T overly-l ingthe pedal and mounted upon the pedalpivot by means of ailug t2 passing through an opening in the pedal. As shown, the foot pedal contact e is connected with the con- .shutters plete closing of the shutters may be preling magnet /zl and brake releasing magnet q, are closed and the shutters are opened, while upon rocking said plate in the opposite direction to connect' the contacts s and Z1, the circuits including the other shutter controlling magnet a/ and brake releasing magnet q are closed, turning the shutters into their closed position.

Yhen the switch plate T is parallel with the pedal, neither of its contacts' touches those of the pedal. The plate is yieldingly held in that normal position by springs u interposed between the plate and the pedal on opposite sides of the switch-plate pivot and preferably consisting of rubber blocks or buttons, as shown.

`By the construction just described, the

organist has full control of the swell shutters by the use of the pedal aided by the shutter-operating motors E, El. lVhen it is desired to open the. shutters partly, the

" player momentarily depresses the toe-portion of the switch plate T to bring the shutter-opening motor E into action, and then by rocking the switch plate in the opposite direct'i'bn, the shutter-closing motor El comes into action and opposes the motor E, preventing the latter from fully opening the ln a similar manner, the comvented. At the same time, the indicator C constantly and accurately shows the position of the shutters. f

I claim as my invention:

1. ln an organ. the combination of a swellboX.-its shutters, means 'for operating Athe shutters, and an indicator controlled by the shutter operating means to indicate the position of the shutters..

2. In an organ,the combination ot' aswellboX, its shutters, means for operating the shutters, and an indicator operativelyconnected with the shutter operating means.

3. In an organ, the combination of the key boards, a swell-box, its shut-ters, operating mechanism for the shutters, a visual indicator arranged above the key-boards, and means for operatively connecting the indicator with the shutter-operating mechanism.

4. In an organ, the combination of the key-boards, a swell-box, its shutters, operating mechanism for the shutters, a vertically swinging indicator lever arranged above the key boards, and means for operatively connecting said lever with the shutter-operating mechanism. i

5. In an organ, thecombination of a swellboX, its shutters, a motor for operating the shutters, and a combined indicator' and controller operatively connected with the shutters and controlling said niotor.

6. In an organ, the combination of a swell box, its shutters, a motor for operating the shutters, a brake for arresting the movement of the shutters, and. a combined indicator and controller operatively connected with the shutters and controlling said motor and said brake.

7. ln an organ, the combination of a swellbox, its shuttelrs, amoto" for operating the shutters, including a power-pneumatic connected with the shutters, valve mechanism controlling the passage of the air to and from said pneuinatida circuit containing an electro-magnet which controls said valve mechanism, a combined indicator and controller operatively connected With the shutters, and a switch controlling said magnetcircuit and operated by said indicator and controller.

8. In an organ, the combination cfa swellbox, its shutters, an electro-pneumatic motor for operating the shutters, a circuit including said motor, a combined indicator and controller, a connection between said indicator and the shutters, said connection including relatively-movable parts, one 'of which carries an electric contact forming a terminal of said circuit, and a switch-mem ber carried by the other of said parts and cooperating With'said contact, said switchmember being operatively connected with said indicator and controller.

9. In an organ, the combination of a swellwhich carries a pair of spaced contacts included in said circuit, and a switch-t: ring carried by the other of said parts, arranged between said contacts and forming a 'terminal of saidcircuit, said spring forming a yielding` connection between said relativelymovable parts and being operatively connccted with said indicator and controller.

l0. In an organ, the combination of al swell-box, its shutters, a motor for voperating the shutters, including a pmyer-pneumatic connected with the shuttersL-'valve mechanism controlling the passage nf the air to and from said pneumatic, and an `electro-magnet controlling said valve mecha- ROBERT HOPE-JONES.- Witnesses C. F. GEYER, ANNA Hanns. 

